Not all travelers are created equal. Whether you’re a bold adventurer, culture vulture, foodie fanatic , history buff, or nature-lover, how you travel can be as important as why you travel and where you go. As an avid travel and tour guide, I know that incorporating our personal passions—and even our individual idiosyncrasies—into our travelsContinue reading “Are You Gonna Go My Way?”
Category Archives: Travel Tips & Skills
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Germany
Confession time: I’m a last-minute packer, sometimes finishing up just hours before a flight. Fortunately, I pack so often that I’ve got my incomprehensible-to-most system down pat. On most trips, procrastination serves as stimulus to “get ‘er done.” Rare is it that something needed is forgotten at home. I get to the airport with sufficientContinue reading “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Germany”
Cuba: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again
The Cuba of your mind’s eye is alive and well…sort of. Any visitor to this Caribbean island expecting to see gumball-colored Chevys and Pontiacs from the 50s, tin can Russian Ladas, and the fading pastel patina of art deco buildings will not be disappointed. A trip to Cuba is a virtual time-tunnel to a yesteryearContinue reading “Cuba: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again”
Cuba: Just the Facts, Ma’am
Rick Steves and I have been getting so many requests regarding the logistics of our Cuba trip. And with travel restrictions slowly easing for Americans, we know more and more people will soon be heading to our neighbor in the Caribbean. With that in mind, Rick has asked me to create a nitty gritty listContinue reading “Cuba: Just the Facts, Ma’am”
In Cuba, Mi Casa Es Su Casa…Really
For Americans traveling to Cuba, finding a place to stay can feel stressful. With few hotels and high demand, most resort to staying in a casa particular—a privately run B&B. But even that can prove difficult if you don’t know the ropes. Read about my family’s experience to help save yourself time and tension when you book your own CubanContinue reading “In Cuba, Mi Casa Es Su Casa…Really”
Bienvenido a Havana: Cuba at First Glance
Weary from 14 hours of travel (in the middle seat of three different airplanes from Seattle to Mexico City to Havana), my body longed for a simple bed to sleep in, but my mind was awhirl with anticipation of a trip of a lifetime. Rick, his son Andy, his daughter Jackie, and I were Cuba-bound,Continue reading “Bienvenido a Havana: Cuba at First Glance”
Adventures in Los Cabos
Tiny beads of sweat tickled my dusty brow. The grease accumulating in my hair could have fueled an SUV. The metallic grind of the engine drowned out all conversations on the jostling bus as we made our way from the airport to Cabo San Lucas. I had neglected to book a shuttle, and forking overContinue reading “Adventures in Los Cabos”
Let’s NOT Give In To Fear: Lessons We Can Learn from the Attacks on Paris
“Let’s continue traveling so we can better sympathize with the pain of others, to work for understanding, healing, and peace with those who feel hurt or marginalized, and to find solutions to the underlying problems that precipitate the kind of anger and hatred that fuel the fires of terrorism.”
Now We’re Cookin’!
Too often when we travel, we frantically fill our schedules with seeing all the major sights, checking things off our bucket lists, and always go-go-going until we’re too exhausted to do much else. Even having a meal is often underappreciated because we rush through it in order to not miss the next thing on ourContinue reading “Now We’re Cookin’!”
St. Kitts: Lessons in History, Emancipation, Culture Shock, and Women’s Lib–Part II
As we finished our mini-bus tour of the island of St. Kitts, our local guide informed us that it was the final day of the Carnival celebration– it started at Christmas, and that there would be a huge parade through the center of town, Basseterre. While confused about the timing (this was January 2nd afterContinue reading “St. Kitts: Lessons in History, Emancipation, Culture Shock, and Women’s Lib–Part II”